But the finer points sometimes make resume-writing a pain. Scan
the shelves at most bookstores, and you'll see dozens of books on
how to write a killer resume that scores the job. Sometimes writing
the resume is tough enough, but reading an entire book on the subject?

"The resume is the most valuable piece of real estate that you
own," said Fred Coon, president of Phoenix-based FEC Career Services,
which offers job search and resume writing services nationwide.

He explained his point this way: You need to pay your bills, for
which you need money, so you need a job, and nobody will call you
for a decent job without a workable resume.

"It drives everything else," he said.

Coon argues that all people are hired for one reason only: to fix
problems. This drives his thinking about the job search.

Resume writing is an art, and Coon does it for a living. He offered
some of the inside tricks of the trade:

Wasted space. Use a clean horizontal line for your name, addresses
and phone numbers. Some people stack their information vertical
wasting precious space.

Flat objective statements. Everybody says they want to use
their skills in a stimulating environment. But that's obvious,
Coon said. Instead, tell people what you can do. He favors breaking
down "core competencies," which spell out a job seeker's skills.

Don't forget your name. How obvious is this? Believe it or
not, many high-level professionals neglect to put their information
on all pages of their resumes. Coon says a multiple-page resume
is fine, especially if you have 10 or more years of experience.
But don't forget the obvious.